-----Original Message-----
From: Damon Gentile <damonfg@yahoo.com>
To: MV <mil-veh@skylee.com>
Date: Wednesday, December 08, 1999 11:52 PM
Subject: [MV] trailer air brakes
>Howdy all!
>
>I've got a question about how mil airbrakes work.
>
>I have a pair of 1963 M332 1+1/2 ton ammo trailers.
>
>I figured that you would need air pressure on the
>emergency line to disengage the e(parking?) brake.
Correct! It also supplies air to the air tank (s) on the trailer. The air
tank is the air supply for the service brake read foot or trolley. The
trolley is generally mounted on the steering column to allow the driver to
test the trailer brake to see if it is working independant of the truck
hauling it. ALWAYS make sure the trolley brake handle is pushed all the way
up towards the windshield in the release position or you will quickly see
(and smell) them!! ALSO WHEN YOU HOOK UP THE GLADHANDS (these are on the end
of the hoses you hook up to the truck) RED IS EMERGENCY BLUE IS SERVICE. It
takes a minute or two depending on the condition of the brake valves to
charge the air tanks. It generally requires 60 pounds of pressure to release
the spring applied brakes on the trailer.
>Also, applying pressure to the service line would
>apply the brakes. Correct!
>
>Is this correct? It sure doesn't work this way,
>but I could have two trailers that were "modified"
>although they came from DRMO (I literally pulled
>them out of Uncle's boneyard!)
>
>Behind my 3200 pound jeep (with trailer air)
>applying pressure to either side didn't have any
>noticeable effect. After I closed the drain on the
>trailer's air tank (doh!) it held pressure.
>
>...The reson I ask is the trailer and Jeep are
>loaded and I'm rolling out of here in 9+1/2
>hours to the DRMO to fire up my M54! Ideally
>I'd pull the 4000 pounds of trailer behind the 5-ton
>but I wanted to get a grasp of how the brakes work.
>Else I'll just take all the stuff out of the trailer
>and throw it in the bed of the M54.
If your trailer brakes check out ( have a local truck driver show you how to
adjust them) be careful how hard you tromp on the brake pedal. If the
trailer is lightly loaded or empty it WILL lock up the wheels and do a dance
like come out into your vision via the mirrors on either the left side or
the right. Take it easy and see by experimentation how hard or how little
brake it takes to lock em up. Remember a duece is not a car and will not
stop like one. Always allow plenty of room to the vehicle directly in front
of you.
>
>Thanks much,
>you guys are great!
>
>-Damon (wish me luck!!)
James Shanks
The Line Below is my Ham Radio Callsign
n1vbn@bit-net.com
The line below is my Ham Radio Packet Address
n1vbn@N1VBN @ WB1DSW.NH.USA.NOAM
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Jan 05 2000 - 22:42:08 PST